Left-winger Stan Smrke played 21 seasons in his professional career with 19 of them split between Chicoutimi and Rochester. Smrke, who was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia on September 2nd 1928, began his minor pro career in Toronto with the Young Rangers in 1947. After a year in the Eastern League, he headed to Chicoutimi where he played all but four games of the next nine years.

The four games away from the Chicoutimi Sagueneens was spent with the Montreal Canadiens, who acquired him in a four-player trade. When Smrke took to the ice as a Montreal Canadien during the 1956-57 he became the first Yugoslavian born player in NHL history. He played four games that year and five more the following season with Montreal. He registered three assists with the Canadiens in his second stint but did not score a goal. However, Smrke participated in the 1957 All-Star Game, which pitted league All-Stars versus Montreal, the defending Cup Champions. Smrke managed to score a goal in that game, his only against NHL opposition.

The rest of the 1957-58 campaign was spent with the American Hockey League's Rochester Americans, the first of what would end up being nine years with the club. Smrke returned to Chicoutimi for the 1958-59 season but was back in Rochester the year after. In 1959-60 Smrke led the AHL in goals when he fired home 40. The left-winger settled in with the Americans and became a steady source of offense for the club who twice won the Calder Cup as league champions during his tenure. In 1967, after scoring 31 goals and 61 points in 71 games for Rochester Stan Smrke retired from the game.

In 1988 the Rochester Americans inducted Stan Smrke into their Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, Smrke, who died on April 14th 1977, was not alive to enjoy the honour.

REGULAR SEASON

PLAYOFFS

Season

Club

League

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

+/-

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

1945-46

Copper Cliff Jr. Redmen

NOJHA

3

4

0

4

0

1946-47

Toronto Young Rangers

OHA-Jr.

5

0

0

0

0

1947-48

Atlantic City<196>Baltimore

EAHL

28

9

16

25

14

1948-49

Chicoutimi Volants

LSLHL

36

27

18

45

1949-50

Chicoutimi Sagueneens

LSLHL

58

24

26

50

64

5

5

0

5

5

1950-51

Chicoutimi Sagueneens

QMHL

54

16

36

52

48

6

0

2

2

2

1951-52

Chicoutimi Sagueneens

QMHL

40

10

13

23

25

18

5

6

11

15

1952-53

Chicoutimi Sagueneens

QMHL

59

35

46

81

28

20

5

8

13

13

1953-54

Chicoutimi Sagueneens

QHL

62

11

32

43

24

7

0

2

2

0

1954-55

Chicoutimi Sagueneens

QHL

60

25

36

61

34

7

2

2

4

2

1955-56

Chicoutimi Sagueneens

QHL

45

26

32

58

20

5

1

3

4

7

1956-57

Montreal Canadiens

NHL

4

0

0

0

0

1956-57

Chicoutimi Sagueneens

QHL

33

20

18

38

22

1957-58

Montreal Canadiens

NHL

5

0

3

3

0

1957-58

Rochester Americans

AHL

63

20

19

39

32

1958-59

Chicoutimi Sagueneens

QHL

57

36

32

68

40

1959-60

Rochester Americans

AHL

67

40

36

76

18

11

7

6

13

2

1960-61

Rochester Americans

AHL

21

10

12

22

6

1961-62

Rochester Americans

AHL

40

7

19

26

14

2

0

0

0

0

1962-63

Rochester Americans

AHL

71

22

25

47

16

2

1

0

1

0

1963-64

Rochester Americans

AHL

59

23

19

42

26

2

0

0

0

0

1964-65

Rochester Americans

AHL

71

33

59

92

28

10

5

4

9

4

1965-66

Rochester Americans

AHL

50

11

20

31

8

8

0

1

1

0

1966-67

Rochester Americans

AHL

71

31

30

61

24

13

2

7

9

2

NHL Totals

9

0

3

3

0

Father of John QMHL Second All-Star Team (1951) QMHL First All-Star Team (1953) QHL Second All-Star Team (1956, 1959) AHL First All-Star Team (1960)
Played in NHL All-Star Game (1957)

Traded to Montreal by Chicoutimi (QHL) for Jackie Leclair, Jacques Deslauriers and Guy Rousseau, October 27, 1957. Traded to Toronto by Montreal for Al MacNeil, June 7, 1960.